The family and friends of Frank Gruben express relief over new missing persons legislation in the Northwest Territories that expands police investigative powers. Gruben, a Gwich’in-Inuvialuk man from Aklavik, vanished in Fort Smith on May 6, 2023, and remains missing.
Potential Impact on Initial Search
Laura Kalinek, Gruben’s mother, believes the Missing Persons Act could have accelerated the early stages of the search for her son. She urges authorities to leverage the law to access vital details promptly. The legislation enables police to obtain phone, banking, and medical records swiftly and issue search warrants without an ongoing criminal probe.
Kalinek received a suspicious text message near the time of her son’s disappearance, which she doubts he sent. Examining phone records under the new act might reveal clues about his location, she suggests. The expanded tools could have triggered formal search and rescue operations sooner in Fort Smith.
“My Frank was so kind. It’s tough every day for me. I always say ‘I’m OK,’ but deep down inside, I’m hurting,” Kalinek shared. She described feeling “crying with joy” when the act took effect this week, hoping it prevents other families from enduring similar uncertainty and grief.
Criticism of Police Response
While supportive of the legislation, Kalinek criticizes the handling of her son’s case. Authorities delayed issuing a public appeal for four days after the missing persons report. She argues that faster action might have mobilized a broader search effort.
Years on, police maintain limited contact with the family. Kalinek awaits an official declaration to hold a memorial for her son. Someone knows what happened, she insists, pleading for information to come forward. Inquiries to N.W.T. RCMP about the case received no response by deadline.
Minister Highlights Legislation’s Value
Status of Women Minister Lucy Kuptana states the act equips police with essential tools to respond quickly and effectively to missing persons cases. “I want to honour the families of those who have gone missing. I want to recognize your courage, your advocacy, and your deep commitment to your loved ones,” she said.
The law emphasizes input from affected families and addresses Calls for Justice related to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Youth Advocacy and Broader Concerns
Ryker Jackson Lonehardt, a 19-year-old advocate, laments the delay in enacting the legislation amid rising drug trade and unresolved missing persons cases in the territory. Posters for Gruben in Fort Smith have faded over time, he notes.
Lonehardt lobbied the N.W.T. justice minister during his teens to hasten the bill’s progress. He organized a Pride parade in Gruben’s honor to sustain public awareness. The act allows police to trace phone locations and communications efficiently while safeguarding privacy.
“Time is a very important factor, and it’s important to investigate and get the on-the-ground work done as soon as possible after the person is declared missing,” Lonehardt emphasized. He stresses that deploying these powers near the disappearance date maximizes their effectiveness.
Gruben identified as two-spirit, and Lonehardt highlights vulnerabilities faced by queer and trans youth, particularly Indigenous individuals. Recent political rhetoric against trans rights exacerbates risks, he argues. “When people don’t value other people in society, they tend to fall through the cracks, and you see that with Indigenous women, people of colour,” Lonehardt said.
Lonehardt first met Gruben at a cafe, bonding over shared experiences. Gruben’s eviction from Aurora College housing due to noise complaints, combined with his open queer identity, heightened his exposure to harm. Lonehardt believes Gruben may have been targeted for his queerness.
“I don’t want to see my trans brothers and sisters, my Indigenous brothers and sisters and two-spirit people going missing anymore. It’s very hard to see, and I just don’t want my friends and family to become statistics,” he said.
Connections to Other Cases
Kalinek has connected with the mother of Lance Briere, missing since February 8, 2025, from the Gwich’in Wellness Camp south of Inuvik. Briere’s search relied on volunteers, mirroring Gruben’s. Former investigator Don MacMillan notes that families often face poor communication from police and search teams.
Kalinek points to disparities in response efforts. A concurrent search for a non-Indigenous man received robust support and succeeded quickly, while her pleas for rangers and aid went unheeded. Fort Smith’s community largely conducted Gruben’s search independently.
“He was Frank Gruben. He’s a human. He mattered. He was my son,” Kalinek affirmed.
